Carpitalpa arendsi (Lundholm, 1955)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Chrysochloridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 180-203 : 200

11.

Arend’s Golden Mole

Carpitalpa arendsi

French: Taupe-dorée dArends / German: Arends-Goldmull / Spanish: Topo dorado de Arends

Taxonomy. Chlorotalpa (Carpitalpa) arendsi Lundholm, 1955 ,

Pungwe Falls, Inyanga, Zimbabwe.

G. N. Bronner in 1995 moved arendsi from Chlorotalpa to Carpitalpa . Monotypic.

Distribution. Eastern Highlands of E Zimbabwe and narrowly into W Mozambique.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 115-141 mm (males) and 115-139 mm (females), hindfoot 14-16 mm (males) and 12-16 mm (females); weight 43-70 ¢g (males) and 43-56 g (females). Males are slightly larger than females. Arend’s Golden Mole is medium-sized and strongly built, with brownish black dorsum and grayish brown venter. Pelage has violet orsilver sheen. Underfur is dark gray. Muzzle is pale and eye patches are white.

Habitat. Montane grassland, with preference for loamy soils; open spaces between grassy tussocks; edges ofriverine forests, with deep leaflitter; cultivated land; and gardens at altitudes of 850-2000 m.

Food and Feeding. Limited information exists for this species, but Arend’s Golden Mole is thought to eat earthworms and insects.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Arend’s Golden Mole uses subsurface burrows moving from clumps of grass into open spaces.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Arend’s Golden Mole has a small extent of occurrence;it faces shrinking habitat due to poorly managed agricultural practices resulting from politically motived land reform and badly managed protected areas where uncontrolled fires have damaged habitat.

Bibliography. Bronner (1995a, 2013b, 2015a), Lundholm (1955), Smithers & Wilson (1979b).

Figures

0. Yellow Golden Mole (Calcochloris obtusirostris), 1. Hottentot Golden Mole (Amblysomus hottentotus), 2. Robust Golden Mole (Amblysomus robustus), 3. Highveld Golden Mole (Amblysomus septentrionalis), 4. Marley’s Golden Mole (Amblysomus marleyi), 5. Fynbos Golden Mole (Amblysomus corriae), 7. Congo Golden Mole (Huetia leucorhina), 8. Somali Golden Mole (Huetia tytonis), 9. Gunning’s Golden Mole (Neamblysomus gunningi), 10. Juliana’s Golden Mole (Neamblysomus julianae), 11. Arend’s Golden Mole (Carpitalpa arendsi), 12. Sclater’s Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa sclateri), 13. Duthie’s Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa duthieae), 14. Stuhlmann’s Golden Mole (Chrysochloris stuhlmanni), 15. Cape Golden Mole (Chrysochloris asiatica), 16. Visagie’s Golden Mole (Chrysochloris visagier), 17. Rough-haired Golden Mole (Chrysospalax villosa), 18. Giant Golden Mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani), 19. De Winton’s Golden Mole (Cryptochloris wintoni), 20. Van Zyl's Golden Mole (Cryptochloris zyli), 21. Grant's Golden Mole (Eremitalpa grant)

Distribution. Eastern Highlands of E Zimbabwe and narrowly into W Mozambique.